The Satchwell One-Name Study – Profile
Origin of the name From P.H. Reaney’s book Dictionary of British Surnames, Sequeville-en-Bessin in Normandy is one origin of the name. There were also manors in Thorpe Satchville in Leicestershire and Heanton Satchville in Devon in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries. I have not seen any evidence to corroborate these claims. Another suggestion is that the name derives from the colloquial pronunciation of Shotteswell, a village in south Warwickshire, which might be the origin of both Satchwell, Satchell and possibly other spellings.
History of the Name Benjamin Satchwell (1733-1810) was the most famous personality. He was the local shoemaker, helped found the spa at Royal Leamington Spa and also wrote poetry. The Satchwells as a whole are characterised as artisans and contributors to industry, with typical occupations being labourer, silk weaver, watchmaker, iron forger and coal miner.
Name frequency In the eighteenth century the name seems to have been widely scattered in the agricultural villages of the English Midlands. In time Satchwells clustered round cities such as Coventry, Birmingham and London. There was also a separate branch in Devon known as Satchwill. The Distribution Frequency by England and Wales Counties for each decade is shown in a table on the UK Sources-Census page, and for the USA by State on the Non-UK Sources-USA page.
Data collected Transcription of Births, Marriages and Deaths from the General Record Office for the years 1837 – 1983. Only data for persons who are sure to be no longer living have been uploaded to the website. Index of Wills from Somerset House for the years 1858 – 1986. Transcription of telephone directories for England and Wales for 1983 (not on this website). Parish registers for selected parishes, some originating from the 16th century. Census records for England and Wales for each decade from 1841 to 1911. Census records for the USA for each decade from 1830 to 1910, except 1890 which was mostly destroyed. Census records for Ireland and Canada for 1900 and 1910. Selected original documents such as Settlement Orders, Quarter Sessions, Manor Rolls, Wills and Deeds.
A printed book, The Story of the Satchwells, is a collection of the documents on this site and may be ordered. A price is yet to be fixed, depends on demand.